Review: Roundhouse Spirits Gin and Corretto Coffee Liqueur

Roundhouse Spirits, based in Boulder, Colorado (only the 6th licensed distillery in the state), makes a trio of products, a gin, a coffee liqueur, and a “super rare” aged gin. We got to tangle with the first two products on that list. Thoughts, as always, follow.

Roundhouse Gin – Overall, a classically-structured, big gin (the company calls it New Western), infused with juniper berry, coriander, citrus peel, star anise, angelica, and orris root, plus some oddities: sencha green tea, lavender, and hibiscus and chamomile blossoms. It’s redistilled from neutral grain spirit in copper pot stills, but bottled hot. The heavy alcohol burn keeps the botanicals at bay, at least until the booze burns off a bit. What you’ll find here then starts with the juniper and marches forward with curious biscuit and pretzel notes, characters that aren’t so much driven by flowers as they are by the granary. Chocolate notes develop after that, and finally some more floral elements show themselves on the finish. I’d say the hibiscus is most on the forefront, but the red pepper you get on the very back end makes for a fun little kicker. 94 proof. A- / $30

Roundhouse Spirits Corretto Coffee Liqueur – Brisk coffee grounds on the nose, authentic as you could want. It’s a modest roast, not burnt at all. Corretto is slightly sweetened and touched with vanilla, giving it a real dessert drink quality (but far fewer calories, the company says, than competing coffee liqueurs). I wouldn’t call it complex, but it is wholly drinkable. The long finish tends to grow sweeter and sweeter, which forces the hand to reach for another sip. 40 proof. A- / $24